April 16, 2014

Bataan Road Trip

Our college friend messaged me last February to inform me about his son’s 7th birthday party. The last time that we saw each other was 3 or 4 years ago during his daughter’s baptism. I told my husband about it and he said yes.

We all know that Bataan is too far from Cavite, it is more or less 4 hours trip depending on the traffic so to maximize our trip, I checked which tourist spots we could visit before attending the birthday party in Limay, Bataan.

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is listed in my bucket list so I emailed them 2 weeks before the trip but they replied to call instead. My husband called to reserve a room but the studio room is already fully booked so we decided to have a day trip instead. #paguran

Last Sunday, we left as early as 4AM to avoid the traffic but I forgot that it was the last day of Hot Air Balloon Festival so we experienced traffic jam as early as 6:30AM. It used to be in Clark, Pampanga but now it was held in Lubao, Pampanga and it used to be on February but now April. We’ve experienced it last 2009 but we missed the flying Hot Air Balloon so we’ve made a quick stop just to take picture.

Then off we went to Dambana ng Kagitingan situated in Mt. Samat. My husband and I were just friends when we first went here and now we’re back with our son. =) We reached the top before 8AM so the elevator going up to the cross is still closed. I don’t want to wait anymore because the line is already long. We checked the museum and left.

P20 – entrance fee

P20 – parking

P10 – elevator fee

On your way to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, you will see the Zero Kilometer Death March Marker “It is the starting point of the Bataan Death March in April 9, 1942 where 60,000 to 80,000 prisoners of war were transferred to Camp O’Donell. Many Filipino and American prisoners of war died in the 128 km march. ”

And Philippine-Japan Friendship Tower, “A monument symbolizing the renewed friendship between Philippines and Japan after the World War II event. ”

Then finally we reached the Heritage Resort, “built by Jose “Gerry”Acuzar, the resort is a collection of different Spanish colonial buildings and stone house from different time and parts of the Philippines.” Will share our day trip experience on my next post.

wow, hot air balloon, I'd love to see that. I saw the photo of the fees, makes me sad. In Thailand places similar to these are for free, and yet they are still able to improve it and maintain its cleanliness.